Practical Events Management

1. Practical Events Management Lecture Eleven: Event Evaluation

2. Lecture Overview • What is event evaluation? • The event management process • When to evaluate events • How to evaluate events • Methods of primary research • Questionnaires • What to evaluate? • Reporting • The individual report • Referencing

3. Defining Event Evaluation “event evaluation is the process of critically observing, measuring and monitoring the implementation of an event in order to assess its outcomes accurately” (Bowdin, et al, 2006:413)

4. The Event Management Process

5. When to Evaluate Events? • The process of evaluation takes place throughout the event management cycle • The key stages of evaluation are: • Pre event (feasibility) • During the event (event monitoring) • Post event (did it reach its mission and objectives?) • Reporting to stakeholders

6. How to Evaluate Events • Secondary research • Previous event reports • Research organisations, e.g. Mintel • Internet • Primary research • What data is needed? • How, when and by whom it is to be gathered? • How is it to be analysed? • What format is to be used in the final report?

7. Methods of Primary Research • Observation • You will gain more accurate data if staff are trained to observe and are given a reporting format • Feedback meetings • Venue • Local council • Sponsors • Vendors • Police • First aid • Questionnaires and surveys

8. Questionnaires • Provide an ideal way to gain feedback from event stakeholders • When designing a survey you need to think about: • Purpose • Survey design • Size of sample • Randomness • Support data • Incentives to participate

9. What to Evaluate • Events have both tangible and intangible impacts • Questionnaires tend to measure tangible impacts • Marketing • Human Resources • Pricing • Programming • Venue • Also important to evaluate intangible aspects • Event experience • Communication during event

10. Reporting Data collection + Observation + Feedback + Surveys = Final report

11. Finally… • To conclude the event management process you must: • Hold a de-brief meeting • Settle accounts • Ensure all contractual and statutory obligations have been fulfilled • Prepare and distribute to all key stakeholders a full report of event outcomes • Make recommendations for future requirements/improvements to the event • Thank everyone who has been involved

12. The Individual Report • Students are required to prepare a management report based upon the event that they have staged. This report should detail the processes which the group followed in planning and executing their event as well as reflecting on the successes and failures of these planning techniques and the event itself. A statement of profit and loss must be included in this report including hidden costs and an analysis of achievement in relation to the group report submitted in week 6. • This should be an individual management report that draws theory into practice. It should critically reflect upon the management process by which end goals were reached and should be written in the third person. • The word count is 2000-2500. • This report should be submitted to W108 by 12 noon on Wednesday 18th April 2012

13. The Individual Report • Introduction • Definition of events • Role of events in society • Overview of the events industry • Introduction to your event – what was it, what type of event, purpose of the event • Purpose of the report and structure • The Evaluation Process • Definition of evaluation • Why evaluation is important for managers in general and events managers in particular • Overall evaluation of your event – what was good/bad, what would you do differently • What were the aims and objectives of your event and were they met? • Human Resources • Definition of HRM • Why HRM is important – particularly for events and specifically your event • Evaluate HRM of your group • (you might want to look at roles, organisational structure, leadership, communication, etc)

14. The Individual Report • Event Planning • Definition of planning • Why is planning important – particularly for events and specifically your event • What planning methods were used • Evaluate the planning processes utilised by your group • (reflect on your SWOT and PEST analyses, what difficulties did you come across, how were these dealt with, what implications did they have for the event) • Control and Budgeting • Definition of control and budgeting • Why control and budgeting is important - particularly for events and specifically your event • Full accounts for your event • Evaluation of these accounts • (were your predictions accurate, did you stick to your budget, cash flow, etc) • Marketing and Sponsorship • Definition of marketing and sponsorship • Why marketing and sponsorship is important - particularly for events and specifically your event • Overview of the marketing and sponsorship activities carried out • Evaluation of marketing and sponsorship • (think about market research, 4 P’s, etc) • You may also want to include similar sections on topics such as venue, entertainment, etc – depending on your event.

15. The Individual Report • Stakeholders • Definition of stakeholders • What is the impact of stakeholders on an event and your in particular • Evaluation – did you deliver what you promised, were stakeholders happy, stakeholder feedback • Operations and Logistics (on the day) • Definition of operations and logistics • Why are they important for events • What were the main logistical and operational issues for your event • How were these dealt with before, during and after the event • Evaluation of the day of the event – did things run smoothly, any issues, what did everyone do, who was responsible for what • Conclusion • Summary of report • What were the main lessons learnt from organising your event, what would you do differently in the future • Concluding remarks on event

16. Top Tips • This report should be written in the third person • It should not simply repeat the group report • You MUST include theory (and reference it properly) • Focus on the key things that went well/did not go so well • Don’t be afraid to say what you think could have been improved upon • Reflect on how well the group worked together but don’t make it too personal!!

17. Referencing – Direct Quotes • In the text • “The de-industrialisation of cities has created a situation where policy makers have, in the words of Miles (2005:913) “desperately sought to explore the possibilities for a post-industrial future” • Surname (year: page number) • Where there are more than three authors do not list all of the surnames, put the first surname, followed by ‘et al’ • For example, Bowdin, et al (2006:67)

18. Referencing - Paraphrasing • In the text • In recent years cultural regeneration has developed from an alternative to urban development policy into a core strategy for many regions and cities throughout the world (Garcia, 2005) • Surname, Year

19. The Reference List • Books: • Bowdin, G.A.J., Allen, J., O'Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I. (2006). Events Management. 2nd edn. Oxford, Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. • Journals: • Garcia, B. (2005) Deconstructing the City of Culture: the long term cultural legacies of Glasgow 1990. Urban Studies, Vol. 42 (5), pp. 841-868.

20. I hope you enjoyed the module!